The Deputy Ranking Member of the Communication Committee of Parliament, Sam Nartey George, has pointed to the dire consequences of blocking SIM cards after the September 30 deadline announced by the Minister of Communication and Digitalization. Mr. Nartey George explained that, among others, the blockage will affect revenue generation, thus projected figures presented to the IMF for a bailout would not be realized.
Sim card re-registration has created a lot of brouhaha in the country since its introduction. The deadline for registration has been shifted several times as more people fail to register their sim cards. The only identification needed for the sim registration is the Ghana Card and you also need your digital address to finalize the registration process. According to authorities and some experts, this registration will help curb the increasing number of mobile frauds in the country and every sim card will have an identity.
But one major concern from Ghanaians aside from the long queue they have to queue in for registration is that most of the unregistered people claim that they have not received their Ghana Card. Without the Ghana Card, one cannot register his/her sim card. So must these citizens who have genuine reasons for not registering to be cut off their means of communication and source of livelihood for failure on the part of the National Identification Authority to fulfil their mandate?
The Ghanaian government’s decision to block unregistered SIM cards could hurt the country’s future economic growth, according to the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram. In an interview, he said that the move could lead to higher prices for mobile phone services and “reduce competition and innovation.” The Ghanaian government has justified the decision by saying that it wants to crack down on crime and improve national security. However, the IMF says that the move could have “adverse consequences” for the country’s economy. The blog notes that the decision could make it more difficult for businesses to operate in Ghana and make it harder for people to communicate with each other. The IMF urges the Ghanaian government to reconsider the decision and says that it stands ready to assist the country.
The minister of communication has threatened to block all unregistered sim cards by the end of September 2022 in an attempt to force citizens who have not registered their sim cards to do so. The blockage of SIM cards will result in the government and telecoms losing a lot of money. This is because these sim cards generate money for the telecoms and they also pay tax to the government. Blocking these sim cards means that the government will lose all the money generated through tax.
The Ghana SIM card blockage could have a significant impact on the country’s fiscal situation. The government has imposed an electronic levy on all mobile money outgoing transactions above GHS 100 per day. If these cards are blocked it means that the target that the government even failed to generate using the electronic levy will reduce drastically. This is because most people will lose their contact and business partners they might be engaging in these transactions. SIM cards to raise revenue. This will have a negative impact on the economy, as well as on the ability of the government to meet its financial obligation the International Monetary Funds want Ghana to meet.
In Ghana mostly when the opposition party is interviewed, they say things that will make them appear as saints and be citizens’ choice when there is another election. So, if the MP is speaking not on a political basis but purely on fact then the government needs to listen to him. The government won’t also be fair to citizens who have not been able to register their sim cards because they do not have their Ghana Card. Citizens cannot be punished for the failure of some agencies of state not performing their duties well. The economy of Ghana is in tatters now so we need an IMF bailout as the current government think is the only way to save the country’s economy. Any intervention that is not favourable or does not align with this should not be rolled out.
Adam Ibrahim
Adam is passionate about politics and issues that affect governance. As a writer, he channels his energies into writing on pertinent national and political issues for the good of the Ghanaian people.
There’s an iota of truth in what the MP is saying.
Why must some citizens suffer from a government organisation failing to provide them with identity cards? Ghana eeiii!!!
It is something the government is using to scare the citizens. They can’t do it. Even if they can it won’t be now.
Sometimes they make comments for them to stay relevant. Certain things are public knowledge.